


Forever

by Dev14



Category: Bleach
Genre: Birthday Fluff, ByaRen, Byakuya got a surprise for his dearest Renji, Dorks, Fluff, For my beloved redhead, Gen, Kisses, M/M, Renji's birthday, Romance, birthday fic, birthday surprise, soft bois
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26215582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dev14/pseuds/Dev14
Summary: It was Renji's birthday but Byakuya was gone the whole day for some Kuchiki clan meeting.When Renji got back he was in for a surprise that he had never dared to dream of even in his wildest dreams.***“Hey, what did you wish for?” Rukia asked after he blew the candles, everyone’s cheers deafening.He smiled to himself.
Relationships: Abarai Renji/Kuchiki Byakuya
Comments: 16
Kudos: 45





	Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday Renji!

That morning he woke up alone. The futon next to him was already cold so Byakuya must have left some time ago.

There was a note on the tatami beside him, along with a tray of breakfast and—oh, taiyaki? that was rare.

‘There is an urgent meeting with the clan that I must attend. Don’t wait up for me, love – Byakuya.’

The frown that he didn’t know he had turned into a soft smile.

* * *

There was nothing different about that day, nothing especially remarkable despite the many ‘happy birthday’s thrown his way, for him to laugh and said ‘thanks’ to.

He did his work at the barracks as usual, his captain wasn’t there even until the end of the workday—the matter with the Kuchiki must have taken too long. Renji never pried into the nobility issues, never really cared. He hoped Byakuya made it in time for dinner, though.

The squad threw him a small party in the mess hall, they made him a birthday cake and all that, even got to make a wish. Ichigo and Rukia and the rest of his friends—Rangiku-san and Hisagi-san, Kira and Hinamori, and everyone else that he didn’t think would care about his birthday—were there.

They made him eat a lot of cake, turned out there were taiyaki inside the cake and he was just utterly surprised how they managed to do it. By the time everyone had said their last congratulatory words and smacked his back until he thought they would be sore tomorrow, he was stuffed full that he didn’t think he would want to even touch dinner later on.

Still, he would do it if Byakuya was there. Everything tasted better with his company. 

* * *

The Kuchiki compound was tranquil and dark at night, stone lanterns lighting up the vast estate and flowing river and dark waters of the lake filled with unusually large and beautiful koi fish.

He made his way to the house, a long-time retainer of the Kuchiki greeted him and took him to the dining room. He asked if Byakuya was home, but the answering gesture was a shake of the old man’s head and a quiet ‘no, sir.’

He smiled, turning to his room instead after telling the retainer that he was already full, and to distribute the food amongst the staff if they wanted to. Byakuya might have dinner somewhere else already.

His room was dark, and it was cold as he stepped inside. There was a soft rustling and he rested his fingers atop Zabimaru’s hilt. Someone was inside.

A single lantern was suddenly lighted up, warm glow flooding the room.

Byakuya was kneeling by their bedside, an unreadable expression on his face. He was holding something underneath a large white cloth. He was wearing his dull grey kimono that had five Kuchiki _kamon_ on it, along with an off-white haori with similar crests. His _kenseikan_ were immaculate on top of his midnight hair, and his signature windflower silk scarf wound around his neck. He clearly just returned from the clan meeting with the way he was dressed. 

Renji approached the noble quietly, taking a seat in front of him, his eyes unable to leave the other’s own slate orbs. It seemed that he had been waiting for Renji to come back. 

Byakuya smiled, then, reaching an arm out to stroke Renji’s cheek, the redhead instinctively nuzzled his face against those warm digits, missing the other's touch since the start of the day. He reached behind Renji’s head, and unclasped his signature high ponytail, making the crimson tresses tumble and fall around Renji’s back.

Renji was confused now, from the silence, the cryptic smile; Byakuya's absence. He was about to say something, ask where had the raven been all day before Byakuya pulled the white cloth on his lap aside.

There was a haori there, just like the one Byakuya was wearing, with Kuchiki _kamon_ on it. Renji didn’t know what it really meant until Byakuya draped it over Renji’s frozen form.

“Wha—”

His hands were taken next, held up as Byakuya put a set of three _kenseikan_ much like the ones atop the noble’s head. He blinked once, twice.

“Byakuya, what is this?”

It was the raven’s turn to blink. His grey eyes widened for a split second before he bowed his head. Renji brought a hand to Byakuya’s cheek, finding it heated and the face that looked back at him was something Renji thought he could never forget.

“Renji,” Byakuya whispered, his voice unusually wavering. He took Renji’s hand and placed it on his heart. it was beating so loudly that Renji felt it traveled up his arm and across his own body.

“I foolishly thought you would be familiar with this tradition,” Byakuya admitted sheepishly, taking in several calming breaths to regulate his heartbeat—to no avail. And Renji was still confused.

“What tradition?”

“When a man proposed to a woman, he would gift her a _kanzashi_ to show his intention. I did the same with Hisana before, though the _kenseikan_ was used instead. And of course, you are obviously male, but as I will be taking you into my family I thought—”

“Wait.” And Byakuya did. He watched Renji’s wide eyes looking at him in disbelief, and he himself grew more restless. His hand that held Renji’s own against his chest grew slack and the redhead’s arm retracted.

Renji was speechless. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He couldn’t believe his own eyes. He couldn’t believe that it wasn’t a dream.

The haori. With five Kuchiki crests stitched on it, across his shoulders.

The _kenseikan_. The mark of Kuchiki nobility, resting heavily in his hand.

Byakuya. Absent all day long for a meeting with the clan, now sitting in front of him, nervous and red in the face, saying _those things..._

_._

Renji. Looking at Byakuya, a wide smile exploded on his trembling lips, and his eyes blurry with tears.

“Renji—!” Byakuya surged forward, his eyes worried and for a moment, he forgot what he was doing. He cradled the redhead’s face in his hands, holding him close.

“Why didn’t you just tell me,” Renji said with a small voice, “you went to the clan to... to—” he couldn’t finish the sentence, unbelieving of what he just heard, thinking it was a dream too good to be true.

But it wasn’t a dream. The warmth of Byakuya’s body against his and their hearts beating together in chaotic harmony was more prove than pinching his arms until they bruise. More prove than anything the jumbled mess he called his mind could think of at that delicate moment.

“It’s supposed to be a surprise,” Byakuya whispered back, a small smile adorning his pale face, “I didn’t count on being a nervous wreck. That is supposed to be your job.”

Renji laughed, through the tears that trailed down his cheeks, through their ferociously beating heartbeats answering one another, through the embrace that seemed to last forever.

“This is so lame,” Renji complained to himself even as he stuttered out breathless laughs.

Byakuya caught his lips then, tears and runny nose be damned.

It was Renji, after all.

* * *

“Happy birthday, Kuchiki Renji.”

Byakuya clasped the _kenseikan_ on Renji’s vermillion tresses, resting against his crown with its comfortable weight.

They would have to take it off soon for bed, anyway, but they needed it. The confirmation.

And Byakuya needed it; Renji’s acceptance.

Renji made a face, touching the bone-white ornament on his head. “I don’t think that name suits me very well.”

Byakuya smiled adoringly, taking Renji’s hands for a chaste kiss.

“You have the rest of our lifetime to get used to it.”

That was all that he could ask for.

* * *

_“Hey, what did you wish for?” Rukia asked after he blew the candles, everyone’s cheers deafening._

_He smiled to himself._

‘Forever.’

* * *

\- end -

**Author's Note:**

> Aww nervous wreck Byakuya is a thing now xd
> 
> Kamon means family emblem/crest, and in kimono, the number of kamon signifies the formality of the occasion and the status of the wearer. Basically no kamon is for casual or street wear, one kamon for visitations, three to five for more formal occasions.
> 
> And the proposal tradition that Byakuya mentioned is more or less what I found online. I wanted to use the poem or poetry tradition, but I got no skill to write one good enough xD might try someday, who knows >.>
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy this short oneshot! And once again, happy birthday to my sweet Ren Ren <33


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